Fantasy Football

2018 Fantasy Football Week 7 Rankings Review

Week 6 proved to be largely drama free until Sunday night, with Mahomes nearly taking down the Patriots in Foxobrough. Thankfully for Brady and friends, New England still remains a troubling place for young quarterbacks, as the Patriots’ record against quarterbacks 25 & under improved to 24-0.

Week 6’s Too High list featured Dalvin Cook and Odell Beckham Jr. Cook ended up not playing and Beckham Jr. wasn’t able to do much in a game where Eli Manning was scrambling for his life.

Too Low saw Edelman securing a touchdown, Luck finishing at QB10 and Crowell hitting the snooze button. For those that currently hold Crowell, it’s an odd numbered week, so there’s a good chance he’ll explode for a touchdown or two. Let’s take a look at who else may surprise you in this week’s rankings review.

2018 Fantasy Football Week 7 Rankings Review

Too High

Breida was effective against an atrocious Green Bay defense last week, tallying 61 yards and a touchdown. Breida’s efforts came in a night where quarterback C.J. Beathard was surprisingly serviceable for the 49ers, who managed a solid lead for a good portion of the third and fourth quarter. The Packers, who were once again saved by Rodger’s fourth quarter tricks, failed to stop the 49ers rushing attack of 174 combined yards.

This week, Breida and the 49ers face their toughest opponent yet in the undefeated Los Angeles Rams. The Rams continue to be a force on both sides of the ball, with Todd Gurley
currently leading the league in rushing and the defense holding the Denver Broncos to a mere 3 points through the first three quarters.

What this means for Breida owners is whether or not they think Beathard will fair better than Keenum under center. If Beathard is able to repeat his performance last week against Green Bay, Breida owners may be rewarded. But considering the Broncos’ total rushing attack was limited to just 60 yards against the Rams, what is more likely?

Funchess is WR40 in standard scoring after 6 weeks. It’s not what drafters expected from him and it’s doubtful the Panthers are satisfied either. Funchess wasn’t bad in Week 6 by any means, accumulating 74 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Redskins. It’s his inconsistency each week that frustrates owners, who continue to make many sacrifices to the fantasy gods in hopes of a Funchess touchdown.

Funchess isn’t necessarily to blame for his woes, however. Quarterback Cam Newton continues to avoid downfield looks, choosing to dump off many throws to the outside, especially to Christian McCaffery. Newton has only completed 1 of 14 passes for longer than 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

The bad news doesn’t end there for Funchess as the Panthers take on the Super Bowl champions this weekend in Philadelphia. The Eagles, fresh off a rout of the New York Giants, continue to look better and better with quarterback Carson Wentz back to full health. Expect Funchess to continue losing opportunities with Cam Newton focused on his short game.

Too Low

Reddit r/fantasyfootball’s lord and savior, Gordon saw a team-leading nine targets Sunday night against the Chiefs. There wasn’t a ton of production from those nine but Gordon is clearly trending upward, both on the field and in the Patriot’s locker room. Last week, Edelman gave high praise to the recently traded receiver, complimenting his football knowledge.

Coach Belichick had a few nice words for Gordon as well, commenting how each week Gordon has become more comfortable with the team. Perhaps it’s no coincidence then that since Gordon has been on the field for New England, the Patriots have put up 119 total points on offense. Spread over three games, that’s no joke.

The Patriots recent offensive surge is the result of rookie running back, Sony Michel. Michel has quickly established himself as the leader of Belichick’s backfield, which has given Brady the breathing room he’s needed to put the ball downfield. James White has also been his usual self, operating as Brady’s safety net if a play breaks down.

For Gordon, all of this is good news. For fantasy owners, it’s even better. Expect Gordon to rise a few spots this week again the Bears.

Did you know that Johnson is averaging 5.7 yards per carry this season? Probably not because Blount just vultured another touchdown when you weren’t looking.

Whether Johnson continues to lose goal line touches to Blount remains to be seen. But for the time being, Johnson will continue to be a solid flex play. The first Lions‘ running back to break 100 yards in a game since 2013, Johnson has proven to be a valuable asset for a team that sits in one of the tougher divisions in the NFL.

Coming off a bye week, Johnson should be back to full health after tweaking his ankle against the Packers in Week 5. Johnson also faces an average Miami defense and should have more than his fair share of opportunities to score. Expect Johnson to continue trending upwards with the Lions.

This week, Trubisky is fortunate enough to face a New England defense that just surrendered 40 points to rising star Patrick Mahomes. Trubisky certainly doesn’t have the arm or the weapons that Mahomes has, but he’s looked substantially better in his past couple of games than ever before.

Having officially stomped out Fitzmagic for good in Week 4 and tossing three touchdowns against Miami in Week 5, Trubisky is starting to look like the quarterback that the Bears wanted to draft.

Trubisky’s issue is facing pressure, shown in his 138.9 passer rating when not facing the rush last week against Miami. His playmakers assisted his newfound attack, as Tarik Cohen scored a touchdown on the ground and put up 90 yards receiving and Trey Burton found the end zone again. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Patriots are able to frustrate Trubisky early and force him to take risks (also known as fantasy points) later in the game. Regardless, expect Trubisky to move a bit higher ahead of x and x.

About Ryan Turner

Ryan is a longtime fantasy football enthusiast and writer for several fantasy sports sites. A fan of playing the matchup, Ryan’s articles often focus on game scripts and how a player fits into their coach’s scheme. You can follow him on Twitter @turnercryan